Analysis: Trump misunderstands NATO so badly, he thinks Brazil could be part of it
By Rick Noack Rick Noack Foreign affairs reporter focusing on Europe and international security Email Bio Follow March 20 at 7:07 AM For the United States’ NATO military allies, a good day is a day when President Trump forgets that they exist.
During a news conference with right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Trump said: “I also intend to designate Brazil as a major non-NATO ally, or even possibly — if you start thinking about it — maybe a NATO ally. I have to talk to a lot of people, but maybe a NATO ally.” To be fair, others have similarly suggested that it might be time to modify that part of the treaty and open the alliance up to new members, such as Australia, Japan and New Zealand. More than a decade ago, Council on Foreign Relations fellow James M. Goldgeier wrote that adding new countries from outside Europe could be beneficial, “especially at a time when Europeans are having trouble meeting their own defense commitments.
While Trump frequently lashes out at European NATO members for not spending enough on defense, granting membership to Brazil would not be seen as a way to correct the balance sheet — but instead as yet another attempt by Trump to disrupt the alliance. Some of Trump’s prior remarks have raised doubts over the core principles that underpin the alliance’s mechanisms, and any Trump suggestion would be approached with caution by members.
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